1. The Crystal of Water is taken from Mysidia by Cecil, Captain of the Red Wings, Baron's Air Force. Cecil is stripped of his command and given a package to deliver to the village of Mist. He and Kain start out the next day.

2. The Mist Dragon in the Misty Cave is defeated. Upon arrival of Mist, the package burns the village. It is learned that by killing the Mist Dragon, a girl's mother is killed. After an explosion that blocks the passage to Mist, Kain is lost, and Cecil carries Rydia to the town of Kaipo, where they are attacked during the night.

3. Rosa is found sick in Kaipo; Cecil and Rydia start out to find the cure, the SandRuby. A Sage known as Tellah joins the party in a watery dungeon. They defeat an octopus and exit the cave.

4. The Castle of Damcyan is destroyed by the Red Wings, leaded by a mysterious man named Golbez who is using the Red Wings to capture the Crystals. The Crystal of Fire is stolen. Tellah's daughter, Anna, dies; Tellah leaves the party to find Golbez. Anna's suitor, Edward, the Prince of Damcyan, joins the party disguised as a Bard.

5. In the cave of the Antlion, the SandRuby is found, but the peaceful Antlion is killed. Rosa recovers and joins the party, and they start out to Fabul to warn them of the Red Wings.

6. Rydia is convinced to cast Fire to unblock the icy path on Mt. Hobbs (she was scared of fire because of what happened to her village). At the top, the help the Karate Master Yang fight the Mom Bomb. Yang joins the party.

7. Cecil, Edward, and Yang help in defending Fabul against an attack. In the Crystal Room, Kain enters and defeats Cecil in combat. The mysterious Golbez enters and takes the Crystal of Air and Rosa.

8. Cecil, Edward, Yang, and Rydia set off to Baron in a ship provided by the King of Fabul. Along the way, the sea monster Leviathan attacks. Cecil wakes up - alone - on a beach near Mysidia, where he stole the Crystal of Water.

9. Child wizards Palom and Porom join Cecil to help him to the top of Mount Ordeals. If Cecil can overcome Mt. Ordeal, then Mysidia will help him. Palom unblocks a fire barrier with a spell. Meanwhile, in the floating Tower of Zot, Kain and Golbez send Milon, the Fiend of Earth, to destroy Cecil.

10. Halfway up the mountain, Tellah, who is looking for the magic of Meteo, joins the party. At the top of the mountain, Milon is destroyed, but attacks the party again from behind, only to be defeated again. The party enters a little cave.

11. In the cave, Cecil hears a voice, calling him 'son'. He sees a mirror image of himself in a mirror. A sword falls from the ceiling; when Cecil holds it, he is transformed into a Paladin. The image comes out of the mirror and fights Cecil; Cecil wins by not attacking. Tellah learns many spells such as Meteo (which he cannot cast for lack of magic points).

12. The Serpent Road to Baron is opened. In town, they meet Yang, who was lost on board the ship. However, he attacks the party of four. After defeating him, he comes to his senses, and gives the party a Key and joins them.

13. The key opens the sewer passage to Castle Baron. There, they meet Baigan, who joins the party, but turns into a monster. After defeating it, the meet with the king, who transforms into the Fiend of Water, Kainazzo.

14. After the victory, Cid, the engineer of the Airships, joins. On the way out, the doors lock while in a narrow passage and the walls start closing in. Palom and Porom turn themselves into statues to stop the walls, thus saving the party. Also on the way out, Cecil hears a voice and sees the 'real' king (or his ghost, rather), telling him to go he the Land of the Summoned Monsters and then return there.

15. They all board Cid's airship, the Enterprise, and launch into the sky, where an enemy airship, waving a white flag, approaches. On the enemy ship in Kain! He tells them that if they give the Crystal of Earth to Golbez, they shall release Rosa. The party heads to Toroian, the castle where the crystal is kept.

16. It turns out that the Crystal has been taken by the Dark Elf, who lives on a wooded island that the airship cannot reach. In the Castle, they meet up with Edward, who is too ill to join the party. He does, however, give them the magical Twin Harp.

17. The party finds a Chocobo Forest and captures a Black Chocobo, which they use to ride to the Dark Elf's cave, Cave Magnes. Here, they must dequip all metal weapons and armor because the cave is magnet-like. When battling the Dark Elf, they all are completely wiped out. Edward senses there trouble, and plays on his harp. Cecil's Twin Harp echoes the song, releasing the party from the magical effects of the cave. They re-equip their metal weapons and armor and easily defeats the Dark Elf, who transformed into a Dragon Elf during battle.

18. When the Crystal is returned to Tororia, an enemy airship appears outside to escort the party to the floating Tower of Zot. Near the top, they encounter the three Magus Sisters, who have a devastating Delta Attack, which the party overcomes with great struggle.

19. On the top floor, Cecil hands the Crystal of Earth to Golbez, who does not release Rosa in return. Tellah attacks Golbez with his most powerful spells, to no avail. In desperation, he sacrifices himself to cast Meteo against him, disabling Golbez for the time being, and freeing Kain from his control. He joins the party.

20. Rosa is rescued a split-second before she is crushed by a trap. She joins the party. While leaving, they encounter the Fiend of Air, Valvalis, who can turn herself into a tornado. With the help of Kain's Kick, she is defeated. The Tower starts to collapse, so Rosa casts Exit which brings them to Cecil's room.

21. It turns out that the Enterprise was returned to Baron by remote control, saving it from the Tower's explosion. Kain reveals the Magma key, which will open the way to the underground where four *more* crystals are. They search out to find where to put the key. They discover that by throwing the key down a well in the town of Agart, a huge hole opens, which the airship can fly down.

22. Underground, the airship can only fly over land, not over the boiling lava. In a battle between the Red Wings (how'd they get down here???) and some Tanks, the Enterprise is shot down and makes a crash landing in front of a castle. Inside, they meet the King of the Dwarves, who occupy the castle. He tells them that Golbez already has two of the Dark Crystals; he has one, and the final one is in a sealed cave. Cid leaves to make repairs on the ship and allow it to fly over the magma.

23. Cecil spots someone in the Crystal room. Entering the room, they find some animated dolls, which, during batle against the party, combine into a big doll called Calbrena. After tthe dolls are destroyed, Golbez enters and attacks the party by calling his pet, which can kill someone with one move. Only Cecil is left to be killed, and he is paralyzed. Suddenly, he is healed, and a Mist Dragon appears and blows away the monster. Rydia appears, and together she and Cecil defeat Golbez.

24. Rydia reveals to the party that she was taken to the Land of the Summoned Monsters by Leviathan; there, time passes differently, and Rydia is now an adult. From Golbez's body, a hand appears, which snatches the crystal and disappears.

25. The group starts out to the Tower of Bab-il, which houses the Super Cannon. At the top, Rubicant, the Fiend of Fire, leaves using a transporter, leaving Dr. Lugae in charge. Dr. Lugae and his robot, Balnab, are destroyed by the party. After an attempt to destroy the Super Cannon, Yang sacrifices himself to shut it down.

26. When leaving the Tower, Golbez collapses the bridge under Cecil's feet. They are saved from becoming pancakes by Cid in the Enterprise. The Red Wings show up and chase them; when going up the hole, Cid jumps off with a bomb and closes it.

27. A Hook is attached to the Enterprise, allowing it to bring the Floater to Eblan so they can reach the cave. Inside, they find what is left of the Kingdom of Eblan.

28. They spy a Ninja fighting Rubicant. After Rubicant defeats him and leaves, the Ninja reveals himself to be Edge, Prince of Eblan. He joins the party, and together they enter the Tower of Bab-il.

29. Once at the summit, Edge's parents, turned into monsters by Dr. Lugae, attack! They finally come around and kill themselves. Rubicant shows up, only to die. The group enters the Crystal Room to take back the stolen crystals, only to fall down a pit. There, they find another airship (Edge names it the Falcon), and they leave with it. Back at the Dwarven Castle, Cid is found to be alive, and he fixes the Falcon so it can fly over lava.

30. Cecil & company now have three caves to search; they start with the one Rydia came from, the Land of the Summoned Monsters. There, they defeat Queen Asura and King Leviathan, allowing Rydia to Call them.

31. Now they go the Sealed Cave, home of the last Dark Crystal. After finding it at the bottom, the Wall attacks, and crushes some of them before crumbling. Just before they leave, Kain snatches the Crystal and runs out.

32. Cid attaches a drill to the Falcon so that it can unblock the hole leading to the Overworld. Before doing this, Cecil explores the Sylph Cave. They find Yang at the bottom being nursed by Sylphs! The party rushes to Yang's Wife with the news; she gives them a pan, which they whack Yang with. This wakes him up, and Rydia learns the Sylph Call spell. Finally, Yang's Wife gives Edge a Spoon.

33. Remembering the King's words, Cecil goes back to see the King of Baron. The King attacks him as Odin! By defeating him, Rydia learns how to Call him. They also visit the Grotto Adamant; by giving the midget a Rat's Tail that they found in the Land of the Summoned Monsters, he gives them Adamant, which Kokkol the Smith (in the Underground) can turn into a supreme sword!

34. Off the coast of Mysidia, the Big Whale emerges. Using this awesome airship, Cecil travels to the moon, where they find FuSoYa, a Lunarian. Cecil learns that another Lunarian, KluYa, went to Earth, met a woman, and had two children; Cecil is one of them. KluYa was the voice at Mt. Ordeals! FuSoYa joins the party. Before going back to Earth, they defeat a dragon named Bahamut in battle, allowing Rydia to Call him.

35. The Giant of Bab-il has been activated! Fortunately, all of Cecil's friends, the dwarves, others attack it, distracting it long enough for Cid to drive them into it's mouth. There, they find the four Fiends of Elements, hungry with vengeance. After defeating them once and for all, they attack the core of the Giant. Golbez comes out; FuSoYa heals him, and Golbez is released from the evil control. He is Cecil's brother! With FuSoYa, Golbez sets out to defeat Zemus, the mastermind behind everything.

36. Before the Giant collapses, Kain also shows up and takes the party out. He joins them again, and they all set out for the moon.

37. At the Moon's core, they find Golbez and FuSoYa defeating Zemus. Zemus's anger, Zeromus, attacks, and kills everyone! Everyone at Earth "wishes" for them; they are revived, and through a Crystal and strength, Zeromus is destroyed.

38. You'll have to see the ending for yourself; I'm not gonna spoil it for you!

---

Hints & Tips

The number corresponds with the event in the story above:

2. When attacked during the night, killing the General will result in the Soldiers killing themselves.

4. Search for a hidden room in Damcyan's castle.

7. Six battles in a row!

10. Switch the back and front row after you beat Milon for the first time.

13. Don't destroy both Arms until you kill Baigan. One blast of Tellah's Lit3 should take care of Kainazzo.

Side Note: Use Cecil's bed before & after the battle with Baigan.

17. Run from enemies; you're helpless without metal equipment. When fighting the Dragon Elf, have Tellah cast Weak.

18. Destroy the middle Magus Sister; she's the one who can revive others. Tellah will not need to Wall your party, because the Sisters will do that for you.

20. Equip Rosa before Valvalis attacks. Use Rosa's Slow and Kain's Jump.

Side Note: Before going to the Underground, go to Mist and get a Dancing Knife and a Tiara Shirt. Also get the Drain Spear in Eblan Castle; equip this to Kain until he leaves.

23. Sometimes, the Calbrena doll will "run out of power" and turn back into six dolls. I can't explain this; of the three times I fought this thing, she's only done it once. That one time, she turned back into dolls twice!

Side Note: After defeating Golbez and telling the King the bad news, have Rydia cast Warp. You can get a Darkness Crystal. This will have three noticeable effects. 1) When you first enter the Sealed Cave, Kain will immediately take the Crystal; he won't wait until the way out. 2) When you reach the bottom of the Sealed Cave, the Wall will attack right away; he won't wait until you come out of the crystal room. 3) There is no crystal in the crystal room at the bottom of the Sealed Cave.

25. There are two ways to defeat Dr. Lugae & Balnab: If you destroy Dr. L first, Balnab will explode from not being oiled; this explosion will kill one of your characters. If you kill Balnab first, Dr. L will have to manually operate him, and will accidentally explode it, taking one of your characters. I prefer to get Balnab first, because he'll die from just two hits of Virus spell.

Side Note: Rydia learns Virus at level 26.

29. Don't attack Edge's parents, just Parry. Against Rubicant, use Shiva and Flood when his robe is open. Careful: using Flood when it's closed will heal him!

30. To defeat Asura, Rosa must be able to cast Wall on her. Rosa learns this spell at level 34.

33. Use Rydia's Lit3 spell to defeat Odin. You'll have to earn a lot of experience first (see tip 34). Do this before you get FuSoYa so you can use Odin in the Giant of Bab-il.

34. In the Big Whale, you can find a bed and a Big Chocobo. Before getting FuSoYa, spend about an hour defeating enemies in Bahamut's Cave. Against Bahamut himself, Wall as many of your party as possible.

35. Kill the Healer Orb, then the CPU. Save the Attacker for last. If you kill both the Attacker and Healer first, the CPU will revive both and kill one or two of your party.

Side Note: After you kill the core, notice that *Kain* says "We did it!" Minor error.

36. You'll have to walk across an invisible bridge to find the Crystal Sword.

37. Use Edge's Spoon as his second Dart, Rydia's Bahamut/Asura, Kain's Jump, Rosa's White, Slow, Cure, & Fast, Edge's Dart, and have Cecil fight.

Side Note: Rydia learns Meteo at level 60.

---

You should dequip a party member before he leaves because: 1) He/she will not join the party again, or 2) if they do join the party again, they will not have that equipment. Here's a rundown of when you should dequip whom:

1. Kain, before you enter Mist.
2. Tellah, before you enter Damcyan.
3. Rosa, before you enter Fabul.
4. Rydia, Yang, & Edward, before you get on the boat.
5. Cecil, before you become a Paladin.
6. Palom & Porom, before you fight Kainazzo.
7. Tellah, before you encounter Golbez in the Tower of Zot.
8. Cid, before you enter the Dwarf Castle.
9. Yang, before you enter the Super Cannon's room.
10. Kain, before you leave the Sealed Cave.
11. FuSoYa, before you fight the CPU.

There are special weapons and armors you can find by killing the right combinations of monsters & crossing your fingers. Here are some:

1. Behemoths/Red Dragons = Crystal Ring (I think I found that in a chest….)
2. Three Red Dragons/one Red Dragon & one Behemoth = Dragoon Spear
3. One Warlock, one Kary, one Red Giant = Heroine Robe
4. Two Red Giants/Group of Magicians = Rune Axe
5. Two Red Bones & three Skeletons/two Skulls & three Red Bones = Zeus Gauntlet

There are a lot more, such as other Call Magic spells, but I lost my list. <Sorry!> If you have the OPOPOGO, a newsletter put out by Square, the list is right there. If I ever find it, I'll reupload this file with it in here.

Final Fantasy III should be out soon. I hear it's gonna be a 12-meg game! Maybe then we'll learn what happened with Edge & Rydia………

---

This article is copyright (c) 1994, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2007 by Ken Gagne. All rights reserved. Not to be distributed without permission.

Title	:	Breath of Fire II
Platforms	:	Game Boy Advance, Super NES
Publisher	:	Capcom
ESRB Rating	:	Everyone
Game Rating	:	8.4
Review by	:	Ken Gagne

Role-playing games are possibly the most perfect genre for a handheld system. RPGs offer lengthy gameplay that can be enjoyed in stretches of hours, or moments at a time. 

Capcom, publisher of the classic RPG series Breath of Fire, continues to make the Game Boy Advance an excellent RPG system with the release of Breath of Fire II. 

Ryu, a young boy with an idyllic life, awakens alone one day in a world in which he and his family never existed, and a mysterious new deity holds a powerful sway on the world's faith. 

Though the story then fast-forwards ten years and progresses at a slower and more normal pace, this nightmarish, Silent Hill-type opening is a startling introduction that immediately piques the player's interest. 

BoFII is a classic, turn-based RPG. Ryu lives in a 2D world filled with caves, castles, and coliseums. He is joined by a cast of friends, each with unique skills, who will help Ryu discover his own dragon heritage and save the world. His party of fighters constantly changes as heroes come and go with their own problems and quests. A unique feature is the ability to fuse individual party members into more powerful combinations. Players can also build their own town and populate it with the people Ryu meets, creating a custom community (a feature also found in Dragon Warrior VII). 

Both Breath of Fire games for Game Boy Advance were originally released nearly a decade ago for the Super Nintendo. Though BoFII is an inherently good game, Capcom seemed disinterested in making it a great one. The handheld edition of this classic RPG uses the same text translation that was criticized on the Super NES. The game and manual exhibit unusual wording and punctuation that isn't exactly wrong, but is also neither natural nor clear. Dialogue scrolls slowly, but the characters themselves zip along — a boon for gamers anxious to get from one place to another. A quick-save option allows temporary abandonment of a quest, whether in the midst of a dangerous dungeon or just out in the field. 

The 32-bit handheld does an impressive job of replicating the presentation of the original 16-bit experience. The sprites are small on the GBA screen, but exhibit more detail and special effects than on the SNES. Magical spells will consider their environment, such as a wind-based attack that kicks up a storm when cast in a desert. The music is occasionally dramatic, but more often somnolent. 

It's disappointing that Capcom didn't take advantage of this reissue to tweak a good game into a great one. Regardless, Breath of Fire II remains the same game it was seven years ago: not scalding hot, but at least worth warming up to.

---

This article is copyright (c) 2002, 2007 by Ken Gagne. All rights reserved. Not to be distributed without permission.

Original publication: Sentinel & Enterprise, 29-Apr-02

Title	:	Harvest Moon
Platforms	:	Super NES
Publisher	:	Natsume
Game Rating	:	7.6
Review by	:	Ken Gagne

Super Nintendo fans will be surprised and pleased to learn that their system, despite being on its last legs, still has a few good games coming out this year. Natsume, publisher of the Lufia role-playing games, now offers gamers Harvest Moon. 

The concept sounds like the computer title SimFarm, but has less simulation and more role-playing elements. Players assume the role of a novice farmer in charge of a plot of land, and are challenged to build it into a thriving farm. This must be accomplished in two-and-a-half years, with each year consisting of four 30-day seasons. Each day is twelve game hours — in reality, about ten minutes. Unlike most role-playing games, the world is small, limited to the farm, the local town, and a mountain. 

Despite the localized playing field, there's much to do in Harvest Moon. One path to happiness may include winning over one of the five local town girls by giving them gifts, talking to them often, dancing with them at the seasonal festivals, and so on. It may be tempting to wake up in the morning and head to town for this, but there are always chores to be done. Land must be cleared of rocks, brush, and tree stumps, then fenced in, before they can be hoed, seeded, and watered. Wood from those stumps can be used to repair the fences broken in last night's storm, hurricane, or blizzard, or else prairie dogs may steal some chickens. The crops must be harvested and placed in a sale bin before 5:00 PM, as well as the cows and chickens fed. The house can be expanded by speaking to the lumberjacks on the mountain, if enough wood and money are available. The shops are closed on weekends, but don't forget to go to Church and talk to the townspeople for the latest news. 

When reviewing Harvest Moon, it must be remembered that it is a 16-bit game in a world of 32- and 64-bit systems. Still, the game's graphics do not measure up to what previous games, like Chrono Trigger, have shown the Super Nintendo capable of. They are small, undetailed, and not very colorful — somewhat reminiscent of EarthBound, another Nintendo role-playing game, but even less impressive. Still, they do suffice in representing the necessary icons. Various shading degrees represent the time of day, and working well into the night, as industrious farmers will, is not a strain on the eyes. The farmer emotes himself well, be it in using tools or expressing fatigue. 

Music is tinny and repetitive, limited to one tune for each entire season, or none when it's raining. There are no orchestrated levels of music, as in Final Fantasy III. Sound effects are equally minimal, or noticeably absent, such as when whistling to the dog. 

Control is one area in which Harvest Moon has little trouble. All the buttons are assigned to various functions that make it a snap to switch between tools (only two of which may be carried at a time), use them, interact with the environment, and perform other jobs. It is sometimes easy to misplace a vegetable or other object, though, and break it beyond usability. Fortunately, since progress is only saved at the end of each day, it is easy to reset and fix such errors. 

The challenge factor is a mixed bag. This is such a unique title in terms of gameplay and goals that it's fun just to have something different for once: no bad guys, no princesses, just salt-of-the-earth success. Early on in the game, there is so much to do, with little time and few tools with which to do it, that gamers will work long days preparing the farm for harvest season. However, most of the major goals are accomplished within the first year, and better tools make the mundane into a chore rather than a challenge. 

Overall, Harvest Moon is a unique offering for gamers of a dying platform. Its gameplay will initially engross players, despite low quality in the audio and visual departments. How long they stick with the game after that depends on how dedicated they are to reaping what they sow.

---

This article is copyright (c) 1997, 2007 by Ken Gagne. All rights reserved. Not to be distributed without permission.

Original publication: Sentinel & Enterprise, 04-Aug-97

Title	:	Tetris Attack
Platforms	:	Super NES
Publisher	:	Nintendo
Game Rating	:	n/a
Review by	:	Ken Gagne

When's the last time you had a Tetris attack? If it was anytime recently, then you'll be craving for the latest puzzle game from Nintendo. Tetris Attack for SNES brings you hours of enjoyment for yourself or with a friend. 

The object of the game is to align three pieces of matching colors to make them disappear. They don't fall from above, but scroll up row by row from the bottom of the screen. Pieces are manipulated by switching horizontally adjacent blocks back and forth. In-game documentation teaches you the fundamentals, as well as tips for producing some astounding chain reactions and combos. Such moves require much future planning, making it harder to score high than a regular Tetris game. 

The one-player game features several levels of difficulty and five modes of play, including Vs. Computer, Time Trial, and Puzzle. Passwords let you continue on the highest stage you've completed. Two-player games can be straight competition or a race to see who can score the most points. 

A choice of "mascots," characters from various Mario games, affects what background and music you'll see and hear as you play, but they are otherwise identical. The music well suited, becomes threatening when a game is nearly over, but is otherwise calm and good listening. This type of game doesn't call for fancy graphics; animation is scarce, but the drawings are exceptional. 

Replay value is high, since no two games are ever alike and there's always room for improvement. If you have a friend with whom to compete, you'll both be going "just one more round" repeatedly as you attack each other with garbage blocks formed from combos and chains. Although it bares the name of its predecessor, its is far apart from the original Tetris, breathing originality into a popular but tired genre. 

Tetris Attack is a notch above the numerous puzzler clones out there. Those looking for the latest Tetris to whet their appetite need look no farther! 

Hints: If both players hold L+R on the Versus' Character Select Screen,  two additional choices become available. 

In the one-player versus mode, move to Hard and press L+Up+A for  Harder mode.

---

This article is copyright (c) 1996, 2007 by Ken Gagne. All rights reserved. Not to be distributed without permission.

Original publication: Boston Herald, 02-Sep-96

Title	:	Megaman X3
Platforms	:	Super NES
Publisher	:	Capcom
Game Rating	:	n/a
Review by	:	Ken Gagne

Capcom brings a familiar face back to the Super NES in Megaman X3. When a Reploid town falls under the leadership of the evil Dr. Doppler and his corrupting virus, it's the Titanium Titan's mission to stop the rebels. 

Megaman will explore eight stages to destroy eight robot bosses, each a representative of the animal kingdom (three are aquatic), acquiring the fallens' weapons for his own use. Each stage has three items to search out and obtain. Several items allow you to access others; you'll need to revisit each stage several times to find them all. Along the way you'll run across Bit & Byte, two brothers in crime, and also Vile from the original MMX adventure. 

The items include heart tanks, which increase your life bar; subtanks, which store extra energy; four mechanical suits; and some interesting hardware enhancements. One powers up your shots for varying results; another lets Megaman dash in midair; a third increases his armor strength. The last and most interesting equips the Blue Bomber with a radar. After entering a stage which has already been conquered, a map will be displayed of where all three hidden items are. Actually finding them is up to you, though. Later, you'll have a choice of only one more of four other improvements: a stronger gun; dash in midair twice; stronger armor; or a self-replenishing life bar. 

Once Megaman's gun is powered up, each of the various weapons may be strengthened. Some will reverse gravity, cause shock waves, or send out homing missiles. Several weapons have a variety of uses throughout many stages and against many bosses; a few serve little purpose in any situation, though. 

This continuation has several new features. Megaman may switch to Zero once per stage, but the limitations make this an almost useless feature. Zero may not use any extra weapons or items, may not fight bosses, and has but one life. He does have an extraordinary energy sabre for use in close encounters. Either character may use any of four mech suits found throughout the stages. Once found, they may be equipped at any designated robot platform. 

The sprites are small but boast many animation frames. Scrolling backgrounds represent a variety of manmade and natural scenarios. Robots are neither cute nor bouncy, and there are no fluffy clouds, as in the regular MM series. A few enemies make use of the special graphics chip in MMX2, but not enough to make its advantages readily seen by the player. 

The soundtrack successfully represents the somber atmosphere of this series. A mix of deep techno and blood-rushing pulses sets the mood for each stage. Enjoy the ample explosions and buzzings the sound effects provide. 

Gameplay is slick yet simple. Megaman can jump, fire, dash, and switch weapons each with the press of a button. He can get himself out of many a dangerous situation as quickly as he gets himself into them. 

This game is huge, with much to find and even more to do with it all. The final enemies are protected by numerous mid-stage bosses that'll knock players off their feet more than once. The storyline is also ordinary but sufficient. 

Megaman X may already be an old-genre, but it's a rock-solid one. The size and challenge of MMX3, with just enough new features, will sate players thirsting for another visit from the Indigo Invader. 

Hints: This is the correct order in which to tackle the stages: Gravity Beetle, Blast Hornet, Blizzard Buffalo, Toxic Seahorse, Tunnel Rhino, Volt Catfish, Crush Crawfish, Neon Tiger. 

The perfect password, as follows, gives you all weapons, heart tanks, subtanks, suits, enhancements, and chips. 

7 3 5 7  5 6 3 3  6 4 6 2  7 8 3 8

---

This article is copyright (c) 1996, 2007 by Ken Gagne. All rights reserved. Not to be distributed without permission.

Original publication: Boston Herald, 08-Apr-96

Title	:	Earthworm Jim 2
Platforms	:	Super NES
Publisher	:	Shiny
Game Rating	:	n/a
Review by	:	Ken Gagne

Just when you thought you'd seen it all, Shiny does it again. Prepare yourselves for a roller-coaster of blasts with Earthworm Jim 2 on your Super NES. The sequel to the craziest game of 1994 is even crazier! 

The plot's the same: the evil Psy-Crow has kidnapped Princess What's-Her-Name, and Jim, an earthworm in a space suit, must save her. What could've been an unoriginal platformer turns out to be an incredibly inventive game for the holiday season. 

The stages are a mixed bag. One second you'll be swinging from snot and blasting at enemies; next flying a rocket in a Zaxxon-type perspective; then swimming around the Villi People, disguised as Sally the Blind Salamander. The final level is similar to the Rat Race stages of the various Battletoad games. There are few bosses. Some stages have their own controls which must be learned separately. The rocket race from EWJ1 is replaced with Puppy Love, which repeats three times. You need good reflexes and much patience for this one. 

Standard controls are a snap to learn, and let Jim pull off a variety of moves. In-air moves are a bit confusing as the fire button becomes the parachute, and jump becomes snot swing. 

The graphics, using Animotion II, are rich and vibrant. The sprites are a bit smaller from the first EWJ, but are marvelously detailed. Jim has a number of hilarious expressions to assert. Some great Mode 7 effects show the artists put more effort than was necessary into exalted backgrounds. 

The music is a bit redundant, but not bothersome. The sound effects really shine with their screams, explosions, whirrs, and moos. 

A special password system lessens the frustration of repeating defeated levels. If you can find four icons on a level and complete it, you receive infinite continues to the next during this gaming session. Once the SNES turns off, you're back to square one. Three difficulty settings provide the opportunity of a challenge to any level of gamer. 

As mentioned earlier, EWJ2 is like none other. Dave Perry pays a tribute to Gary Larson with a generous helping of cows. The hilarious, if occasionally a bit twisted, humor keeps you smiling as you assault the baddies. This is never a serious moment in this game. The dry wit continues in the instruction manual; however, this makes it hard to find real information or tips when need be. 

If you're looking for a good game with a few laughs, look no further. Bait your hook with Earthworm Jim 2!

---

This article is copyright (c) 1996, 2007 by Ken Gagne. All rights reserved. Not to be distributed without permission.

Original publication: Boston Herald, 15-Jan-96

Title	:	Secret of Evermore
Platforms	:	Super NES
Publisher	:	Squaresoft
Game Rating	:	n/a
Review by	:	Ken Gagne

If you've wasted Chrono Trigger and blasted Final Fantasy III, the next stop on Squaresoft's RPG train is Secret of Evermore. This is the first project from Squaresoft which is not merely a Japanese translation, but has an all-American programming staff. A dream machine creates a nightmare and you get pulled in. It's up to you to find a way back to Podunk, USA, as you explore the various fantasy worlds gone bad. 

Utilizing the Secret of Mana game engine, Evermore is more of an upgrade than a sequel. It used a standard overhead perspective with hack-n-slash battles. The tedious level-raising from Mana is back: your characters have strength levels, but so do your weapons and spells. The latter two only become stronger as you use them. This will often lead to boring sessions of spellcasting merely for the sake of spellcasting. Instead of magic, you use alchemy to mix formulas which hurt or heal. This is based on an ingredients system similar to that in the Ultima Avatar or Magic Candle CRPGs. Many necessary ingredients needn't be purchased, as they can be found in the wildness. If you cast many spells, you will end up spending massive money on components, though. Furthermore, only a certain number of formulas can be equipped at any one time; so if you go into a dungeon and find yourself ill-prepared, you'll need to trek back to town to get the necessary spells. To execute a powered-up weapon attack, you must hold the attack button as a meter fills. Unlike Mana, you do not slow down when powering up, so it's always a good idea to have a fully-charged attack ready. 

The plot is at first fairly simple, with unimportant side treks. Soon enough, figures of power will have an ill-boding disposition toward the hero as they received devious plans from mysterious leaders. There may a bit of intrigue, but the story doesn't come near the Final Fantasy series. 

The graphics are standard fare for RPGs. Great use of lighting shows off the dungeons, but overhead branches cloud your vision in the forests. The sprites are small but detailed, and don't suffer from Big Head syndrome. It seems like Squaresoft seems unable to match the standard set by Final Fantasy III. 

Music appropriately fits the wondrous locales you'll traverse. The prehistoric era has dinosaur roars and beating drums, while the marketplace has the sounds of commerce in action. Explosions and spell effects add to the heat of the battle nicely. 

The innovative control ring system of options takes some getting used to, but becomes quite a speedy interface. Controlling two characters at once and switching between them is riddled with problems in some areas, however. The dog isn't exactly the brightest mutt around. Instead of saving you from a life-sucking abomination, he'll often opt to sit idly by and scratch himself. His ingredient-sniffing abilities aren't always on the spot. On the plus side, he is much stronger and faster than the main character, which doesn't make much sense. 

Some spots are too obscure to immediately figure out, or are obvious enough to quickly overlook. The lack of sufficient save points will have you playing areas more than once. During my time with Evermore, I was struck by at least four different bugs, two of which were serious. Other players have reported similar problems. It could be as localized as the infamous "Sketch bug" in Final Fantasy III, but Squaresoft needs to spend more time beta-testing. 

Secret of Evermore is right up your alley if you liked Mana. It has the elements of both adventure and RPG with some decent battles and a fun setting. It's only more of the same, though.

---

This article is copyright (c) 1995, 2007 by Ken Gagne. All rights reserved. Not to be distributed without permission.

Original publication: Boston Herald, 23-Nov-95

Title	:	Megaman 7
Platforms	:	Super NES
Publisher	:	Capcom
Game Rating	:	n/a
Review by	:	Ken Gagne

If there's one game series other than Street Fighter which has attributed to Capcom's greatness, it's Mega Man. The Indigo Invader returns in Mega Man 7 for the Super NES! 

Set apart from the Mega Man X series, MM7 returns to its roots with an old style of gameplay. Gone are the Reploids, Sigma, and Zero; back are Dr. Light, Rush, Roll, and Protoman. 

The plot and gameplay for this round are nearly the same as about twenty others: Dr. Wily's up to his nefarious deeds, and you must acquire weapons from his eight robots by defeating them. You start off with a choice of four stages, then four more, then a four-level final stage. You may visit each several times, which is often necessary to find all the hidden routes and items. Between rounds you may purchase items at Eddy's shop. After each round you are given a brief description of your recently acquired weapon's use through some corny dialogue between Mega and Dr. Light. This and other added dialogue still fail to add much depth, though. 

The graphics are a step up from the 8-bit predecessors with an appearance that looks like it was taken right from the MM cartoon. The sprites are twice as large as earlier incarnations. Each major android has several frames of detailed animation that they're not shy about showing off. You'll recognize many foes from Mega Man's early days. There is even a brief (TOO brief) visit to the Robot Museum, where you'll get to see (but not fight) defeated foes from the past. 

The music is bouncy and glides right along with the colorful graphics. There's isn't a whole lot of variation on the themes, though. The sound effects don't add much to the game: no big explosions, fantastic gunfire, etc. 

Play control is simple yet adequate. Weapons can be chosen with the L+R buttons, but the non-attack enhancements must be selected from the subscreen. Pausing the game during the heat of a battle to find just the right weapon can be anticlimactic at times. The old routine of finding each robot's weakness never seems to grow tedious, though. Each weapon can also interact with the backgrounds to produce unique results or uncover hidden paths. A separate button for sliding, as opposed to Down+Jump, would've been appreciated. 

The challenge level is on par with most platformers. Each individual stage isn't extremely difficult, but the end bosses can be quite a task to defeat. The final boss (Dr. Wily — sorry if the surprise is ruined :) is in one of his toughest incarnations ever! Playing through MM7 will take many times longer than MM6. 

My biggest gripe is that Capcom can't think of many new "Mans!" They seem to recycle old foes like there's no tomorrow. There's Burst Man (Bubble Man), Cloud Man (Air Man, Wind Man), Junk Man (Dust Man, Wood Man, Plant Man), Freeze Man (Ice Man), Turbo Man (Charge Man)… none of which are new. Sigh. They should consider recycling their two biggest hits and have the eight bosses in their next MM named after the original Street Fighters: Ryu Man, Guile Man, Blanka Man… Yeah! But, I digress. 

Mega Man 7 is another course in a meal that just won't end. It may be redundant, but when it's this good, it's no great effort to overlook such a minor fault. Look for Mega Man X3 in December '95! 

Password: 1415  5585  7823  6251 Then hold L & R on both controllers and press Start to play Hyper Mega Man Turbo Fighting Champion Edition. :) Moves: 

Mega Man: Arrow Slash: Down, Down-Towards, Towards, Y  Leg Breaker: Down, Down, B  Faint Warp: Up, Up 

Bass: Booster Kick: Towards, Down, Down-Towards, Y  Sonic Crasher: Forward, Forward, Y (while jumping)  Faint Warp: Up, Up 

Weaknesses: Burst Man: Freeze Cracker or Surge Wheel  Cloud Man: Danger Warp  Junk Man: Thunder Bolt  Freeze Man: Junk Shield or Surge Wheel  Slash Man: Freeze Cracker  Spring Man: Slash Claw  Shade Man: Wild Coil  Turbo Man: Noise Crush

---

This article is copyright (c) 1995, 2007 by Ken Gagne. All rights reserved. Not to be distributed without permission.

Original publication: Boston Herald, 16-Oct-95